FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[stonemonkey]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

The hangover from partying in Brazil lasted until mid December.

[scotty]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

The hangover from partying in Brazil lasted until mid December.

McLaren don't strike me as a team that know how to party to be honest with you...

[stonemonkey]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

The hangover from partying in Brazil lasted until mid December.

McLaren don't strike me as a team that know how to party to be honest with you...

I doubt it's all tux's and Ron making speeches in ronspeech.

[cap-dude]

He was just testing MP4-24's off-roading capabilities nothing to worry about

Indeed, good for further off-road excursions throughtout the season j/k

I think any team can make a mistake really. Renault did in 07, Ferrari did in 05. It may just be a question of how long till they're up to speed again.
Though to be honest, I'm still struggling with the idea that McLaren may be mid-feild. I would almost have bet money on them building the championship winning car. But thats racing, you can't take anything for granted.

[Jensonb]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

It's not so much a mistake as a blind alley. It would seem to make sense to me that the team spent a lot of their not inconsiderable resources on the showdown with Ferrari last year. It's possible this means they didn't have time to try out and discard ideas in the same way other teams might have.

[Jabberwocky]

Do you think the conversation went:-

Martin - We have a problem!
Ron - What's that?
Martin - Erm Ron, this years car is a dog. I think it has just been overtaken by last years Honda!
Ron - Oh bugger, that's it I am retiring. Martin over to you!
Martin - Why thanks a lot!

[bud]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

The hangover from partying in Brazil lasted until mid December.

McLaren don't strike me as a team that know how to party to be honest with you...

you obviously haven't been to a GP where they won

[shani182]

Has anyone seen the video they made before singapore last year? They're not all that serious! If you haven't seen it, t should be on YouTube somewhere.

[FerrariFan63]

Can anyone offer a good explaination as to how McLaren managed to make such a huge mistake, despite having the best facilities of any team? Was their simulator incorrectly configured or something?

If anything's the problem, and we'll find that out on raceday, then I'd guess that it's because McLaren made some wrong decisions in design. With so many unknowns this year, KERS and other changes, it's not yet known what the best solutions are going to be, and therefore there's more chance of there being engineering choices (e.g. mechanical versus electric KERS) which teams could get right or wrong. Even if the facilities are very good (which McLaren's facilities are), the fault could have been at the ideas stage.

And of course, the McLaren is still going to be a fast racing car. It's just that some other cars appear faster. It could be that McLaren did what could be expected given its facilities, but that some other teams are punching above their weight.

[Shamrock321]

Im not McLarens biggest fan but its a brave man who writes them off! Remember the guy who said he would go nude in Silverstone if Mclaren won a race, cant remember the season but he had to do it. Melbourne can be a funny race, Im sure it will be close, if McLaren are off the pace I doubt it will beby much and Id imagine they will be up to speed quite quickly. Its all just speculation, we will know in a little under 2 weeks!

[FerrariFan63]

Whitmarsh says that KERS is not the problem. But with KERS-less team Brawn GP seemingly (*) being really quick, I'm not sure I'm convinced by this.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73696

Q. Is the adoption of KERS central to MP4-24's problems?

Whitmarsh: "KERS has been a tremendous engineering challenge for all the teams - but I am sure that every engineer in the pit lane has relished that challenge. Our engineers and the engineers at Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines have created an extremely impressive KERS unit.

"Inevitably, some teams adapt to all-new technologies better or faster than others, and in some ways the positioning in a car's chassis of its KERS system is as influential on overall performance as is any other aspect of it. But I would not say that any of the issues we are working on with regard to the performance of MP4-24 are caused by KERS."

Surely the positioning of the KERS system will be fundamental to the design of the chassis, and would be difficult to "fix". If it is "the problem".

(*) Who knows what we'll see on raceday

[bud]

*Why is it every Ferrari fan I come across doesn't believe Brawn GPs pace is genuine?

[Griff]

Surely the positioning of the KERS system will be fundamental to the design of the chassis, and would be difficult to "fix". If it is "the problem".

(*) Who knows what we'll see on raceday

I really don't think KERS is the problem since its position would probably add weight to the back where there lack of grip is. My theory is that the floor modification didn't give them as much advantage as they had expected meaning its back to the drawing board with that rear wing.

[8-ball]

Im not McLarens biggest fan but its a brave man who writes them off! Remember the guy who said he would go nude in Silverstone if Mclaren won a race, cant remember the season but he had to do it. Melbourne can be a funny race, Im sure it will be close, if McLaren are off the pace I doubt it will beby much and Id imagine they will be up to speed quite quickly. Its all just speculation, we will know in a little under 2 weeks!

Teething problems are normal during the off season, however I find it strange that Mclaren are so far down the timesheets and with only two weeks to Melbourne? Clearly there is something majorly wrong with that car in terms of its raw pace. If this problem still exists by the first race then they will have a bad start to the season and considering Mclaren are a team that usually trail off in performance near the back end of the season they need as many points as they can get!

[bud]

Mclaren are a team that usually trail off in performance near the back end of the season they need as many points as they can get!

what are you basing that on?